The Sparrow Gave Me Wings to Fly
by Granuaile the Pirate Princess
Summary: Fourth of The Tortuga Tales. A companion piece to Son of a Pirate. The story of how Jack Sparrow and Tara Riley met, fell in love, and fell apart.
1. First Meeting

**Author's Note: As promised, here is the companion piece to "Son of a Pirate". I just couldn't wait to start it! As always, the only Jack Sparrow I own is the life size cutout in my room. The mouse owns all.**

For as long as Tara could remember, she had wanted nothing more than to get away from Port Royal. She was the only child of a slave merchant, and the same lack of human kindness that allowed William Riley to buy and sell human beings also made him very prone to take out his frustrations on whomever was in his path, usually his daughter. Tara's mother had died young, under rather shady circumstances, and so left Tara to bear the brunt of her father's anger. At seventeen, she already carried scars from his drunken outbursts.

It was one of those outbursts she was trying to avoid today, as she hid below one of the many docks that lined the bay. Master Riley had just received word from an agent of the East India Trading Company that one of his captains had turned loose a whole load of slaves and then sunk the ship. While she was glad that the slaves had been set free, she knew that her father had taken a huge loss and would soon be looking for someone to take it out on. Tara lay sprawled in the sand under the dock, trying to stall for time. She knew when it got dark she would have to go back. She absently rubbed the purple and yellow bruise on her forearm, the leftovers of her father's last tirade. She closed her eyes and tried to picture someone whisking her away from her father; some romantic rescuer who would take her far from Port Royal and never do anything else but love her.

She was broken out of her reverie by a male voice. "Are you alright down there, miss?"

Tara jumped and tried to stand, smoothing her dress into place and trying to brush off the sand. "Yes, yes, I'm fine." She took the hand that was offered to her, then followed the arm with her eyes to so the face attached. He was ruggedly handsome, the face of a sailor, with warm brown eyes and a crooked smile. "I was just… thinking."

The man raised an eyebrow at her. "Must have been thinking of something pretty bad, luv, judging by the sour look on yer face."

Tara smiled brightly, only half faking it. "Oh, its nothing, just a girl's troubles, nothing important."

The man smiled back. "Well then, its getting late. Might I escort a girl home, Miss…"

"Riley, Tara Riley. And certainly, mister…"

"Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow."

**Before you finish and say that Jack doesn't seem quitre right, remember this is a younger, less piratical Jack. He's just been branded a pirate, and he's still growing into his persona as the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. Please R&R, it makes me a very happy author!**


	2. Unspeakable Atrocities

**Author's note: Wow this was an intense chapter to write. About now I'm trying to think of ways to kill off one of my characters because I simply LOATHE him. Anyway, you'll see why. As always, Jack belongs to the mouse.**

Tara chatted with Jack as they walked along, happy despite the growing uneasiness she felt as they neared her home. "So, Captain Sparrow, what brings you to Port Royal?"

"Just Jack, if you please. Actually, I'm here to have a little tête a tête with one of me backers; a Mr. William Riley. Might he be any relation, Miss Riley?"

"Tara, please, and yes, he's my father. But if you wanted to speak to him, you might want to come back another day. He's not in the best of moods."

Jack's smile fell. "Tell you the truth, Tara, I'm expecting he'll be in a worse mood once I'm done speaking t' him. I intend to give him a piece of me mind. I was hired by his agent t' transport goods, and they tried t' get me t' transport slaves! That is one thing, miss, that I refuse t' do."

Tara finally put two and two together. "Oh, so you were the captain that set the slaves loose and sunk his ship."

"Ha! Me, sink me own ship? Hardly. That blaygird Beckett sunk the ship, and branded me a pirate. A pirate! For letting loose human beings!"

Tara realized that Jack was actually going to confront her father, which would make him even meaner than he was going to be already. Trying to hide the panic in her voice, she spoke again. "It still might not be the best idea to see Father face to face. Its not safe."

Jack gave a little chuckle. "What's he gonna do t' me, take a swing at me? I've had worse."

Tara self-consciously rubbed the healing bruise on her arm. "I suppose." From that point on she was markedly quiet, thinking about what her father was going to do to her for bringing this man to their house. They finally arrived at the Riley's, and the housekeeper let them in and went to announce Captain Sparrow to Master Riley.

William Riley was just as irate as Tara had expected him to be. Half-drunk already, he staggered into the foyer. "What the devil do you want?"

Jack stepped toward him, scowling as he looked him in the face. "I wanted t' tell you exactly what I thought of you after pulling that stunt of switching me cargo! I told your agent that I do NOT transport slaves!"

Riley's face grew livid, and his hands shook as he glared at Jack. "You! You're the man that's cost me my fortune!"

"Fortunes aren't t' be made by selling manflesh!"

Riley swung at Jack and missed. This made him even more angry, and he pulled the pistol that was strapped at his side and pointed it at Jack's face. "Get… Out… Of… My… House."

Jack started to say something else, when William cocked the pistol. Tara jumped out from where she'd been watching and knocked the pistol from her father's hand, his shot glancing off the floor. "Get out now, Jack!" she yelled as she hit the floor, her father still looking at her with angry surprise. Jack stared momentarily, then scurried out the door.

William jerked his daughter up by her hair, his face contorted with fury. "What the bloody hell did you think you were doing?"

Tara squealed in pain. "You were going to shoot him!"

"And what if I did? That's my business, not yours! I'll teach you to meddle!" He turned his pistol around and beat her repeatedly with the handle, oblivious to her screams of protest. He left her bruised and bleeding on the floor and went in search of another bottle of rum.

**R&R please! This is a rough story to write, I could use the support.**


	3. I'll Take Care of You

**Author's note: You can thank inspiration-induced insomnia for the burst of story-writing. I've limited myself to the time it takes for my laptop's battery to die, then I must go to sleep. Until then, enjoy. And Jack's still not mine.**

After Master Riley had wandered off, the housekeeper call a couple of servant boys to carry Tara up to her room, where she undressed her and tended the poor girl's wounds. "Ye'll not be able to go out for weeks now, Miss Riley, them marks'll show fer sure. Try to rest a bit; I'll be back later to check on ye." All Tara could do was whimper as she was tucked into her bed.

Not long after the housekeeper had left, Tara heard a stirring in the tree outside her open window. Jack's face appeared above the windowsill, and shortly he was inside the room. He looked at Tara, who was still half senseless from the beating she'd taken. "That man is a monster." he whispered, as he gingerly touched one of the large bruises on her face. Even the slightest touch made her whimper, and the helpless sound seemed to ignite a fire in Jack. He stared at her resolutely and said, "I am not leaving you here." He lifted her from the bed as gently as he could, and somehow managed to climb back down the tree with her in his arms. He snuck back to the docks and aboard his ship. As soon as he had settled her into the bed in his cabin, he gave his men the orders to sail. He wanted as much distance between Tara Riley and her father as possible.

Tara was confused when she awoke. Above the throbbing of the bruises on her head and body, she could feel the bed she was laying in moving. She tried to sit up, but the world spun and she plopped rather painfully back onto the pillow. "I wouldn't try that just yet, luv, if I were you."

Tara looked over, and sitting at a desk across the room was Jack Sparrow, the captain she'd met the day before. She squinted. "Where am I?"

Jack strode over to the bedside and knelt, making it easier for her to look him in the eyes. "You're aboard my ship, the Black Pearl, formerly the Wicked Wench."

"Ship?" Tara's mind was still foggy.

"I couldn't very well leave you, after you saved me from getting shot last night. That beating was my fault."

"Would've… beat me… anyway."

"Then he's even more of a monster than I thought. One way or the other, you're safe here. That man will never lay hands on you again, I swear it."

Tara tried to smile, but it hurt. "Thank you."

Jack smiled his crooked grin, his eyes still sad. "You wanna thank me? Get better."


	4. All Fun and Games Til Someone Gets Hurt

**author's note: I'm on a writing spree with this one. I've actually got the whole thing written in my head, its just a matter of getting it down in type. Hope you enjoy! oh yeah, Jack and co. belong to the mouse.**

It only took a couple of days before Tara was able to venture out of bed again, although her face and shoulders were an awful mix of purple, red, and yellow, her lower lip was still swollen and split, and both eyes were ringed in blackish-purple. Jack was amazed that the girl was still alive, let alone poking around the ship. She'd gone looking for something to make herself useful, despite protests from Jack that she ought to be taking it easy. She won out in the end, and she was currently occupied peeling potatoes in the galley, the least strenuous task he could think to set her to.

The men had all taken a shine to her, all except his first mate, Hector, who he quite frankly didn't think liked anyone. The story of how she'd come to be aboard had passed through the crew quickly, and they'd made her their mascot, the token female on a ship full of ragged sailors. He'd never seen them bend over backwards to serve anyone, not even him, and he was the captain!

He'd handed over the helm, and decided that he'd go to check on her. He wandered toward the galley, where he heard a high, musical laugh. It made him smile; he'd never heard her laugh that freely before. He walked in and saw Tara and Cook pelting each other with potato peels. Jack put on his best captain face and coughed loudly. "Ahem, what is the meaning of this?"

They both froze, peels still in hand. Tara looked quite contrite, and stammered, "We were, uh, just… um…"

Jack's face cracked, and he chuckled. Tara and Cook both began to breathe normally again, Tara letting out a little giggle. Jack leaned over and picked a potato peel out of her hair and waved it in her face as he grinned at her. "I'm holding you personally responsible if this ends up in my dinner."

Tara laughed again. "Yes, sir. I'll see to it that it doesn't."

Jack walked away smiling. He was going to enjoy having Tara Riley aboard.

The weeks passed, and all of Tara's marks had healed. She'd graduated from peeling potatoes to climbing the rigging, a skill that had taken her quite a bit of practice. However, once she got it, she really got it, and she was soon tumbling through the ropes as easily as any of the other crewmen. She'd taken to wearing a set of Jack's old clothes, sleeves and trouser legs rolled up and pants belted with a length of cord. Her long blonde hair often got in the way, but she kept it under control by braiding it and tucking it under a bandana.

Watching her up there was driving Jack to distraction. For some reason he had this vivid picture in his mind of her losing her footing and plummeting to the deck. He was standing in the bow, pretending to be taking their heading but really watching Tara on the yardarm when she tripped. He watched in horror as she tumbled down the sails. He ran closer, somehow thinking he might catch her. At the last moment, she grabbed a rope and swing off, dropping to her feet right in front of him, grinning and laughing. "Got you, didn't I?"

Jack stared at her, eyes bugging. He wasn't happy. He grabbed her by the shoulder and started dragging her away. "You and I are going to have a talk in my cabin, luv." he said roughly.

Once they were behind the cabin's closed door, Jack went off. "What the bloody hell do you think you were doing? You could've been killed!"

"It was just a joke… I knew what I was doing!"

"Scaring me to death, that's what you were doing!" Jack was about to continue when he saw Tara. She was slinking back into the farthest corner of the room, tears standing in her eyes. She was looking at him the way she'd looked at her father; she was expecting him to hit her. Seeing her look at him like that broke his heart. All the anger left his face as he went over to her. She'd curled into a ball, and when he raised a hand to her face, she flinched away. "Tara, look at me." Bit by bit she looked up, slow tears falling from her cornflower-blue eyes. "I am not your father, Tara. I will never, ever hurt you." She continued to look up at him, as vulnerable as he'd ever seen her. He couldn't help himself. He leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers. She tentatively reached out her hands to rest them on his arms, and he gathered her closer, taking that as an invitation to kiss her again.

**Oo, a kiss! Please R&R, it keeps me on track.**


	5. Something Like Love

**Author's note: I'm on a roll, or as my best friend says, "You're nuts!" Oh well, at least I'm updating quickly, right? As always, Jack and co belong to disney.**

Things were a bit awkward aboard the Black Pearl after that, to say the least. Tara didn't know what to make of that kiss, and she didn't know what to make of her own feelings. On the one hand, he could have kissed her because he actually had feelings for her, and what she felt for him might actually be something like love. On the other hand, he could have just kissed her because he made her cry and felt sorry, and she could just be feeling natural adoration for the man that had taken her away from her father. Tara tried her best to avoid Jack while she tried to sort things out. She volunteered for extra shifts in the crow's nest, and when it was time for her to sleep, she slipped into the cabin and crawled into bed without saying a word to Jack, who usually sat up for hours poring over maps and charts at his desk.

Jack was having the same crisis of thought. Granted, Tara was a sweet girl, a pretty girl, but was he in love with her? Or did he just feel some sort of obligation to take care of her? Night after night he sat at his desk after she'd gone to sleep and would sneak glances at her, puzzling til his puzzler was sore. Head in his hands, he sighed. Life was complicated.

They probably would have continued carefully ignoring each other if Tara's buttons would have buttoned properly. She'd come in from watch to slip into her nightgown as usual, but for some reason that night her fingers were clumsy and she couldn't manage to fasten the top two buttons. Jack heard her cursing at them quietly and looked up from his maps in the direction of the dressing screen. "You alright over there?"

She continued to fuss with the buttons. "Can't get my bloody buttons fastened."

Jack stood and walked toward the screen. Curiosity getting the better of him, he peeked around, assuming she'd be at least relatively decent. "Need some help?"

Tara blushed. "Yes, please." She turned her back to him and swept her hair out of the way.

He moved closer, more than a little nervous himself. As he fumbled with the first button, he noticed a scar on her back that stopped him in his tracks. As he traced it with his fingertips, he noticed it was one of a cluster of them. Without looking up, he asked, "When did these happen?"

Tara took a deep breath, shaky both with the unpleasant memory and the thrill of his fingers on her skin. "When I was eleven. Father was trying to teach me to ride. I didn't meet his standards fast enough, so he stripped me down to my shift and horsewhipped me."

Jack couldn't take his eyes off the pale lines on her fair skin. They seemed like a blasphemy to the perfection around them. He was amazed. He'd been horsewhipped once, when he was seventeen, for loosing the wrong rope in a storm. Five stripes and he'd nearly bled to death. He counted at least seven scars on her otherwise smooth skin. That was when he realized. Yes, Tara was sweet, yes, she was beautiful, but more importantly, she was strong, and he loved her for that. All this time he'd been deluding himself that he'd saved her life, when in reality she'd survived more than that time and time again. He lowered his face to one of the scars on her shoulder and kissed it gently as he slid his arms around her waist. He pulled her back against him and buried his face in her hair. "I love you, Tara." he whispered in her ear as he took her hands in his own.

Tara's heart beat faster. Shakily she whispered back, "Are you sure?"

Jack turned her around to face him. "Inescapably." She drew a breath to say something, but he put a finger over her lips. "And you don't have t' say a thing until you're sure too." He kissed her gently on the forehead and reached behind her to button the offending buttons, giving her a little squeeze. "Now I think you were headed to bed."

She started to walk toward the bed, then looked back at Jack. Shyly, she asked, "You coming too?"

Jack smiled, looked back at the hammock where he usually slept, then looked back at Tara and nodded.


	6. Some Things Are Meant To Be Free

**Author's note: Just to clear things up, there is NO SEX in this story. Yet. They're just sleeping together, literally. Anyway, here's a bit more, I hope you enjoy. As always, Jack and the crew and such are not mine. Too bad.**

Jack was already asleep; Tara could tell by the steady rise and fall of his chest against her back. She was still awake, thinking over the words he had spoken. He said he loved her, and against her better judgment, she believed him. Now the question remained, did she really love him? Laying here in his arms, she had to admit it felt right; not just safe, but right, as if this was where she'd been made to be. Was that love? She didn't know, she'd never had anything to compare it to.

She fingered the scar on his right wrist, the smooth pinkish "P" that had been burned into his skin the first time he had defied her father. Right above it was a tattoo, a sparrow flying into the sunset. It made her think. He'd given her the wings to fly away from her past, and he offered her a future. Carefully, so as not to wake him up, she turned to look at his sleeping face. His eyelashes fluttered softly; he was dreaming. Was he dreaming about her?

She was sure now. She leaned down and kissed him gently. His eyes opened slowly, and he gave her a sleepy smile. "What was that for?"

She smiled back. "I love you, Jack Sparrow."

He looked at her sideways. "You sure?"

With a little giggle, she whispered, "Inescapably."

Tara woke up the next morning to a tapping at the cabin window. She got up to see what it was, waking Jack in the process. Just outside the window was a little sparrow, pecking like it wanted in. Tara opened the window and let it hop inside. She held out her hand and it fluttered into her palm. With a girlish look of excitement she turned and showed it to Jack. "Look! A sparrow! We must be getting close to land."

Jack sat up on the bed. "Yes, we should be pulling into Tortuga in less than a day."

She petted the bird in her hand gently. "He's so sweet, and so tame. Do you think I could keep him as a pet?"

"I dunno, luv. Caged birds have a bad habit of dying."

Tara frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "You're right." She held the little bird in one hand out the window, where it flew away. "Some things are just meant to be free."

She looked over at Jack, who seemed to be studying her carefully. "You know," he said, "you've just given me an idea." He jumped up from the bed and rummaged through a desk drawer. He pulled out a sheet of paper and a nub of charcoal and started sketching something.

Tara tried to peek at the drawing. "I didn't know you were an artist, Jack."

Jack shielded the paper and shooed her away. "I'm a man of many talents, luv." Tara perched herself on the bed, watching him intently. He continued to draw, looking up at her and smiling every so often. After a short while, he pushed his chair back from the desk. "Finished. Come have a look-see."

Tara walked over and picked up the paper. "Oh, Jack, its lovely!" On the paper was a sketch of her with the sparrow in her outstretched hand, her hair blown back from her face by the sea breeze. Written on the bottom in Jack's flowing script were her words, "Some things are just meant to be free."

**Hmm, picture sound familiar? It should. Please R&R!**


	7. Meeting Old Friends

**Author's note: So here we are back in Tortuga, the center of all these stories. Time for my characters to have a run-in with som of my other characters. Hope you enjoy! Jack belongs to the mouse.**

They pulled into Tortuga the next day around noon. Jack tossed her a purse with a few coins in it. "Go buy yourself something pretty, luv. I've got to look after a few things around here, but I'll come find you when I've finished."

Purse tucked into her pocket, Tara set out to explore. Once you got past the dockside, Tortuga was much like any other port town, aside from the fact that most of the sailors here were wanted by one or more governments. She wanted to find a dress shop; wearing Jack's clothes was all well and good, but she was a girl at heart and wanted to wear something nice for a change. Scanning about, she spotted a redheaded girl a little younger than herself sweeping the front step of one of the taverns. "Miss? Can you give me directions? I've never been here before."

The girl stopped, leaned on her broom, and grinned. "What are you looking for? I've not been here too long myself, but I can probably point you in the right direction."

Tara smiled back. "I'm looking for a dress shop or something of that sort. I'm rather tired of wearing men's clothing."

The other girl laughed. "There's a tailor's shop about two streets down from here. He usually has a little something on hand."

"Thank you!"

"No problem. If you need anything else, my name's Kaylee MacEwan, and this is my father's tavern, the Golden Parakeet. I'm here all the time."

"I'm Tara Riley. I hope we run into each other again. Thanks again!" Tara set out down the street and, sure enough, she came to the tailor's shop that Kaylee had told her about. She walked inside, hoping to find something that would fit her.

A couple hours later, Jack found himself walking down the same street. This time Kaylee was out washing windows. Jack waved to her. "Ho! Kaylee-bird! Missed me?"

Kaylee rolled her eyes and flicked her wet rag at him. "What do you want, Jack Sparrow?"

Jack leaned against the door post. "I'm lookin' for a girl, might have come this way a while back. Tiny little thing, with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a set of my clothes?"

"Oh, you mean Tara. What on earth is she doing with you?"

Jack chuckled. He was used to Kaylee's brusque manner of dealing with him. "You'd have to ask her that yerself, Kaylee-bird. Right now I need to know where she went."

"I sent her to the tailor's shop. She was looking for some new clothes. Can't blame the poor girl if she was wearing something of yours."

"Thank ye, Kaylee-bird. Maybe we'll drop by later." Jack began walking down the street.

Kaylee called after him. "Tara's welcome. You, on the other hand…" Jack just chuckled again.


	8. A Little Too Much To Drink

**Author's note: This was a fun chapter to write, although the end, not so easy. As always, Jack belongs to Disney, but if he did belong to me, I'd tell Tara where to get off.**

Jack found the tailor's shop just as Tara was coming out the front. Jack stopped in his tracks. Tara was wearing a beautiful blue walking dress that exactly matched the color of her eyes. He caught her eye, and she waved and walked his way. "So what do you think? I told Mr. Jones it seemed a bit low in the front, but he swears it's the style…"

Jack continued to stare. He eventually regained his voice enough to say, "You look… incredible." Tara smiled and blushed. Recovering his trademark charm, he offered her his arm. "Shall we go to dinner? I told an old friend we'd drop by."

Back at the Golden Parakeet, Tara and Kaylee chattered away as Kaylee served their dinners. "So how exactly do you and Jack know each other?" asked Tara as she sipped at the small glass of rum that sat by her plate.

Kaylee opened her mouth to launch her usual tirade on Jack, but was stopped when she saw Jack's pleading look and the way he tightened his arm around Tara. She said, simply, "Jack was my father's first mate, and I was raised aboard my father's ship."

Tara giggled a little. "Well isn't that interesting." She raised her glass again and emptied it. "Oh, its empty… What is this stuff anyway? I've never had this before."

Kaylee and Jack looked at each other, then looked back at Tara. Jack spoke up. "Tara, luv, you mean you've never had rum before?"

Tara giggled again. "Oh, rum… yes, I've had rum… a little."

Kaylee laughed. "Oh dear, Jack, she's sloshed! You'd better get her back to your ship."

Tara moved to pick up her glass again and knocked it over and giggled. Jack looked at her gravely. "Yes, I think I should."

Tara sobered a bit on the walk back to the Pearl, but she still wasn't steady enough to do a few things. "Jack! I can't get these bloody buttons, can you help me?" she called from behind the dressing screen.

Jack went to help her. Deftly he undid the buttons as he asked, "You feeling a little less woozy?"

"Yes, much better. Just never let me touch rum again, I don't want to do anything silly." The last button undone, the dress threatened to fall off.

Jack noticed something, and had to comment on it. "Ahem…you're not… wearing anything… under that dress."

Tara blushed and clutched the dress. "Well, no. Its not like I've been wearing girly things for several weeks now, and I didn't have any with me."

Jack struggled to breathe normally. He ran a hand over her bare shoulder, making her close her eyes and sigh. "Jack, I don't think we should…" Her sentence trailed off as Jack's lips trailed along her neck. Slowly, she let go of the dress, letting it slide to the floor. Jack turned her around, kissing from her ear down to her collarbone. He lifted her and carried her toward the bed. Breathlessly, Tara whispered, "But, Jack, I've never…"

"Shh, luv… Didn't I tell you that I'd never hurt you?"


	9. New Developments

**Author's Note: This chapter is a bit scattered, but I hope you'll enjoy it no less. Keep in mind that I'm trying my hardest to stay true to the canon timetable, so sometimes I have to skip over long periods of time. Please R&R!**

They stayed in Tortuga for about a week, giving the men a short vacation and giving them a chance to make the necessary repairs and lay in supplies. Right before they were ready to get underway, Jack took Tara aside. "Want to see what I was seeing to when I sent you after that dress?" Tara nodded, now curious. They walked down the gangplank and to the front of the ship, where about five of the men were fastening something to the bow. When the men finished and were hauled back onto the deck, Tara could see what it was. The Pearl was now adorned with a figurehead, modeled after the sketch Jack had made of her.

Tara turned and kissed Jack excitedly. "Oh, Jack, its beautiful!"

Jack put his arm around her shoulders and gave a little squeeze. "Just thought we needed another beautiful woman aboard." he said with a sly grin.

Tara laughed and smacked him on the arm lightly. "Oh you."

A year passed. The crew grew rather used to a female presence aboard the Pearl, and each of them knew, when they attacked another ship, that it would mean their head if it was their fault she came to any harm. Thus she was probably safer with this buccaneer crew than she'd ever been in her father's home. She and Jack continued sharing a cabin, not bothering to hide their relationship from the crew, and if any of them objected, they kept it to themselves.

They'd been out for about four months after a prolonged stay for provisions and repairs off the coast of Spain when she started developing a terrible case of seasickness that wouldn't go away. After two months, it still hadn't gotten any better, and Jack had insisted that they make their way back to Tortuga so that she could see a doctor of some sort.

They'd pulled into port and Jack had taken her to an old medicine woman who lived just up from the docks. The old lady had taken Tara into a back room for examination, and Jack sat in her front parlor, getting more and more nervous by the minute. When the women came back, he saw Tara give him a small smile. His curiosity got the better of him, and he burst out, "So what is it then?"

The old lady scowled at him. "Well ye ought to know, seeing as its mostly yer fault." Then she shambled back into her back room, chuckling to herself.

Jack was still puzzled. He looked sideways at Tara as she walked over to him, grinning. "So what is it that's wrong?"

Laying her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist, she whispered, "Nothing's wrong. Everything's right." She looked up at him, smiling. "You're going to be a father."

**Just for your information, this baby is not Jonas. That would throw off my timetable terribly. Keep reading to see what develops!**


	10. The Baby

**Author's note: Here's some more! You might wanna break out the tissues for this chapter. As always, Jack and company belong to the mouse. Please R&R!**

Jack became a regular mother hen after he found out that Tara was carrying his child. He wouldn't hear of her coming back out with them. "Its one thing, Tara-luv, for you to be aboard when we're attacking another ship, but with a baby? You're both better off here."

Tara would've objected, but Jack had made arrangements for her to stay with Seamus and Kaylee MacEwan at the Golden Parakeet, and Kaylee and Tara had become fairly good friends. The day Jack and the others were preparing to leave, though, she was an emotional mess. "You'll be back before the baby comes, right?" she sobbed into his sleeve.

Jack hugged her and smiled. "Of course, luv. That treasure on Isla de Muerta is as good as ours, with this little knickknack leading the way." He tapped the compass on his belt, and leaned down. "So lets have a kiss, luv, and I'll be back before you know it." Still sniffling, Tara gave Jack a kiss and watched as he went aboard the Pearl.

It would have been easy for Tara to become depressed being left behind, if it hadn't been for Kaylee. The younger girl was nearly as excited about the baby as Tara. The two of them busied themselves sewing baby clothes and chatting. "So, Tara, do you think it'll be a girl or a boy?" asked Kaylee as she hemmed her fifth diaper.

Tara was knitting a blanket as a break from the endless sewing. "Well, I'm not sure. I know Jack would love for it to be a boy, but I'm actually hoping for a little girl."

"I'm sure he'll be happy with either. Have you thought of names?"

"Well, I've thought of Jonathan for a boy. Jack's real name, you know… or maybe Jonas, for something a little different. For a girl, I thought of Mercy, or Grace… I guess I've got a while to decide, and Jack should have some say in the matter."

Kaylee laughed. "Sounds like you've got quite a few ideas swimming around in your head… let's hope Jack doesn't just muddy things worse."

As Tara entered her sixth month, she sent Kaylee down to the docks every day to see if the Pearl was back yet. Jack had only been gone for three months, but he'd promised to be back soon. The Pearl had been gone for four months to the day when Kaylee returned with the news that they were back. Excited, Tara hurried as best she could to go meet Jack at the docks. Kaylee went with her, and they both watched the stream of men coming down the gangplank. The men seemed oddly hesitant to look her in the eye. When it seemed that all the men had disembarked, Tara remained on the dock, confused. That was when Hector, Jack's first mate, came striding down the gangplank. She hurried over to him. "Hector! Where's Jack? Why hasn't he come down yet?"

Hector tried to avoid looking at her. "Well, Miss Riley, I hate t' tell you, but Jack is no longer with us. He was lost some time before we reached the Isla de Muerta." With that he swept off toward his home just beyond the docks.

Tara stood, staring up the gangplank in shock. Kaylee took her arm and tried to lead her away. "Come on, Tara, let's get you home."

Tara was rooted to the spot. She murmured, "Jack…Jack is dead…" Then she crumpled to the ground, clutching her middle as a searing pain ripped through her stomach. Panting through the pain, she grabbed at Kaylee's arm. "Oh god…the baby…"

A few hours later, it was all over. The midwife huddled over the tiny bundle, willing it to breathe, while Tara lay half senseless on the bloodstained sheets. Reluctantly, the midwife gave up, wrapped the baby in a blanket and handed it to a very pale-looking Kaylee. "I'm sorry, miss. It was just too soon for her."

Tara moaned from the bed. "I want to see my baby. Bring me my baby."

Fighting back tears of her own, Kaylee handed the tiny bundle to Tara. Wearily, Tara unwrapped the baby, running her hands over the tiny, perfect fingers and toes. "My little girl… my little Grace…" She broke off into a keening wail, clutching the perfect, dead, baby girl to her chest.


	11. Jack's Return

**Author's note: Just giving you ample warning, the next couple of chapters are going to skim over a period of about four years, so I hope I'll write them well enough that you'll be able to follow. As always, Jack and company belong to Disney. Please R&R!**

Tara lived in her own world for the next few weeks. Kaylee tried her best to keep her eating and such, but she did all these things woodenly. All her will to exist had vanished with the loss of both her lover and her baby at the same time. She showed all the signs of slowly slipping into oblivion, until the day that Kaylee returned with the first glimmer of hope that had reached her since the Pearl had returned and left again.

Kaylee had been down to the docks, trying to hear what she could about what had actually became of Jack, when a shipment of rum arrived at one of the main docks. Kaylee had been ready to head back to the tavern when she was stopped by a tap on her shoulder. "Kaylee-bird, where's my girl?"

Kaylee turned around, swore mildly and impulsively crossed herself. "Jack? But they told us you were dead."

Jack grumbled. "They would've liked it that way. Take me back to her, Kaylee. She's all I have left."

Tara was still in the same room where she had given birth, curtains closed. She sat in bed, staring at the far wall. Jack sat down on the bed next to her and took her hand. "Tara, luv?"

Slowly, she turned her head. After a long moment, she whispered, "Jack?" He just nodded. That was when her reserve crumpled, and she fell against his chest, crying. "Jack, Jack…we thought you were dead."

Jack put an arm around her shoulders. "Yes, well… I might have been better off that way."

Tara looked up at him, her face streaked with tears. "What are you talking about? You would have left me here all alone? The thought of you being dead upset me so badly that I… that I…"

Jack cut in angrily. "He stole my bloody ship, Tara! I have nothing now, nothing!"

Tara screamed in frustration. "Am I nothing? Is your daughter nothing? I lost the baby, Jack. Our daughter is dead because I thought you left me, and you say you would've been better off dead too! Maybe we'd all be happier if we were dead!" She threw herself back onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow.

It took Jack a moment to absorb what Tara had said. Once it finally dawned on him, he lay down next to her and drew her up to his chest, ignoring her protests and struggling. All of those ceased as he held her there, stroking her back soothingly. He lowered his face and whispered mournfully, "I'm sorry, Tara. I'm so sorry. I didn't know, I didn't know…"


	12. Ruin

**Author's note: This story is winding down. Thanks to everyone who have been reading and reviewing faithfully! As always, Jack and the Pearl belong to Disney.**

Tara had hoped that Jack would stay with her for a while, but it wasn't to be. He simply couldn't accept the loss of his ship, so as soon as Tara seemed a little less close to the edge, he found a small home on the dockside for her and set off with the crew of another ship in search of the Pearl, promising them a share in the plunder if they captured it.

So Tara was left alone, for the most part of the next four years. Jack would wander back into Tortuga with gifts and promises that as soon as he regained his ship, things would be exactly the way they had been when they'd met. Tara believed this at first; she'd wanted to believe it. But as the time wore on, she realized that he was lying, to her and to himself.

She reached her final conclusion one night after he'd come home for a short visit. She lay next to him, staring into the dark. Their lovemaking had been halfhearted at best, since both had other things on their minds. She knew now, that she would never be first in his life again. His first and only love now was his precious Pearl, and there was no room for her.

He noticed her change in mood the next day, and commented on it over dinner. "What's wrong, luv? You seem a bit morose."

Tara sighed and stared at the table. "Jack, I can't do this anymore." She looked up at him with tearful eyes. He seemed confused. "You're never here anymore, Jack, even when you are here."

Jack stood and moved to stand beside her chair. He put an arm around her shoulders and spoke softly in her ear. "Ah, luv, I told you, when I find the Pearl, everything will go back to the way it was."

Her tears began to fall. "We both know that's not true, Jack. The Black Pearl is your world now. There's no place for me."

Jack dropped to his knees to look up at her. "Please, Tara, give me a chance. Let me show you that you matter to me."

Tearfully, Tara turned away. "You've already shown me how much I matter to you. Leave, Jack. I never want to see you again."

Jack knelt there, in shock for a moment, then stood and stormed out the door, leaving Tara sobbing at the table.

He rushed for the Golden Parakeet, in desperate need of alcoholic oblivion. He stumbled over something, falling flat on his face. Grumbling, he pulled himself up and looked down to see what he'd stumbled over.

There lay a very drunk William Riley. A flash of recognition came across the man's face. "You…" he slurred, "You're the man who ruined my fortune and took my daughter and ruined my life!" He moved to take a swing at Jack, but he was too inebriated to be effective.

Jack stared blackly at the man at his feet. "You ruined yer own life, mate. Just like I ruined mine." With a swift movement, he plunged his sword into the man's chest and pulled it out. He wiped it clean and walked away, leaving William Riley to breathe his last alone.


	13. The Son of a Pirate

**Author's note: Thanks to** **everyone that has followed this to the end! There's not much to this chapter, just tying up loose ends. As always, Jack belongs to Disney.**

The sickness started two months later. This time she knew what it was without consulting anyone else. Kaylee implored her to come stay with them, but Tara would hear none of it. "I'll take care of myself, and my baby. I have a little money left, enough for now." With that money, she kept renting the home that Jack had secured for her before. Some days she would simply sit at a window and watch the docks, wondering if she should tell Jack that the baby was his. Holding a hand over her growing stomach, she decided that both he and the baby were better off never knowing each other.

It was a stormy day when she went into labor. In her fear she hurried to the Golden Parakeet to call for Kaylee. She settled her into a room upstairs and went for the midwife. It took almost no time before the little baby breathed his first breath, and let out a hearty cry. The midwife smiled up at Tara. "Ye have a fine, healthy baby boy."

The midwife handed the squirming bundle to Tara, who looked down at him, tears of joy standing in her eyes. His eyes rolled and focused momentarily on his mother, then closed, exhausted from his journey into the world. Tara stroked the curly dark hair on his head. He looked so much like Jack already, it was almost painful. What to name him? Certainly not Jack… what had been the name she'd thought of before? "Jonas," she whispered to the sleeping baby at her breast, "my little Jonas. My son, and no one else's."

A few months later, Tara bundled Jonas into a sling and told Kaylee she was leaving. "But where will you go? What will you do?"

Tara looked over at a side table where two whores were laughing with a very drunken man. "I'll take care of myself, of us, somehow." She squeezed Kaylee's hand. "Promise me you won't tell Jack about my son?"

"Don't you mean both your son?"

"No, Jonas is my son, only mine. Jack has no right to him. Promise me!"

Sadly, Kaylee nodded. "I promise."


End file.
